Customer Reviews

Road Trip: Hudson River Valley (Road Trip Guide)

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I just returned from a trip to the Hudson River Valley using this book as my primary guide. WIlliams' style was entertaining, and her restaurant advice terrific when it came to The Calico Restaurant in Rhinebeck (we had a fabulous meal) but important details were neglected.

WIlliams' accurately described the town of Hudson, with the town center choc-a-bloc full of antique shops, surrounded by urban decay. With a love of antiques, I planned a trip to Hudson to for an extensive 'tique crawl only to discover 99% of the shops are open ONLY Friday-Sunday. Hudson being far north of my base, the travel time ate much of the day making a last minute change of plans a real challenge.

Likewise, she neglected to mention in any detail the Institute for Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, which is a fascinating place with an excellent perennial garden and very pleasant, helpful and knowlegable staff. Fortunately, we stumbled onto this place by accident, but it was a trip highlight.

Short shrift was similarly given to the many wineries in the area, merely mentioning their existence but with few details.

The maps were helpful, and as I mentioned earlier, our lunch in Rhinebeck at the Calico Restaurant was divine so she gets credit for that. Otherwise, think of this book as a basic intro only and plan on doing much more research before you depart for the Hudson River Valley.

I bought this book before I read the reviews, and I'm glad I did. The Hudson River Valley is expensive. That's why no cheap lodgings are in the book. We stayed at the Peekskill Inn and found it very affordable as well as charming. The book is small enough for an easy carry - as befits a weekend tripper. It's nicely divided into possible weekend trips so the reader can choose which area fits their mood. Each area gets a thorough review of what it has to offer - not just food, lodging, cultural events, but an understanding of where the area has been and what it has to offer the traveler. The icing on the cake is that the book is fun to read, e.g. "Woodstock feels like an unmade bed - comfortable but disheveled."